There are times in your life when things go wrong and when you need help with an emergency there is essential gear required to get you back up and running. Mophie’s new Powerstation Go Rugged with Air Compressor may be one of the best pieces of gear to have in your automobile, boat, travel trailer, or field office. This $159.95 compact package provides portable power, vehicle/marine battery charging, compressed air, and light to help you resolve a number of problems.
We own older vehicles and have had batteries die as they age. Proper tire pressure is essential for safety and optimal gas mileage. Illumination in the dark and during inclement weather is important. Have a smartphone that is powered up is key to getting help in an emergency. This new Mophie Powerstation Go Rugged device provides functionality to take on each of these challenges and should be in every household.
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The retail package contains the Mophie Powerstation Go Rugged main unit, an A/C wall plug and USB cable to charge up the battery pack, jumper cables with quick-connect lines, a handy carry bag with instructions for using the device, and several air compressor nozzle attachments. The battery pack has a capacity of 55,000 mWh. Before using, fully charge up the Mophie device using the charger and USB-C cable.
Air compressor
One reason I wanted to test out this particular Mophie solution was the air compressor capability. Proper vehicle tire pressure is important for safety and optimal vehicle mileage so you should check your vehicle tire pressure regularly. I also ride bikes and these same reasons apply to human or battery powered bikes too. As we approach the summer, my family also likes to camp and swim so air mattresses and other floatable toys also need to be pumped up.
The Mophie Powerstation Go Rugged with Air Compressor is perfect for keeping all of your inflatable gear ready to go. There are several attachments for sports balls, air mattresses, and tires so you don’t need to buy anything to pump up your gear. There is a short hose that rests in a groove on the side of the battery pack with another hose attachment for tires. The tire hose attachment has a lever to lock the end of the hose onto your tire fitting.
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After attaching the hose to your tire, the current pressure in the tire will appear on the Mophie display so you can see how much air you need. There are plus and minus buttons on the device to set the desired pressure, which is an even better experience than my current manual air compressor. You can also quickly toggle the units if PSI is not your preferred system.
Once everything is connected and the desired pressure is set, simply press the compressor on/off button to inflate the connected vessel. The air compressor has a 100 PSI max setting too.
Jumper cables
Another unique aspect of this Mophie device is the jumper cable attachment. With my older vehicles and my family’s summertime drive-in movie attendance, jumper cables are found in our trunks. One problem with standard jumper cables is that you need to find another person with a vehicle who is willing to help you out and sometimes that can be a problem. If you are on the road alone, then there is definitely a safety concern with this approach.
Short, portable jumper cables are provided with the kit. The outlet on the Mophie is designed so that you can only insert it in a single orientation, which is key to making sure your positive and negative cables are setup correctly. After you connect the cables to the Mophie, attach the red clamp on the positive terminal and the black clamp on the negative terminal. The LCD on the Mophie will then show you the vehicle battery voltage, similar to how the air compressor part shows you the tire pressure. As always with jumper cables, do not touch the red and black clamps together after the cable is attached to the Mophie.
Press the jump start button on the Mophie and wait for a solid green light. A flashing green light indicates that safety checks are in progress. Once the solid green light illuminates, start your vehicle. After your vehicle is started, press the jump start button again and remove the jumper cable clamps from the battery. You cannot use the jumper cables and air compressor or USB-A charging ports at the same time so stay focused only on jumping a vehicle if that is your need.
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Light
In my life experiences, emergencies generally seem to happen at night so the challenge of dealing with darkness makes things even tougher to deal with. Thankfully, the Mophie Powerstation Go Rugged also has a very bright LED floodlight on one end. A single press of the floodlight turns on the light, a second press switches to a red color, and a third press turns on SOS flashing red so you can signal to people that you need help. This accessory may actually end up saving lives.
The floodlight will turn off after two hours of inactivity, assuming the remaining battery on the Mophie can go for this long. The floodlight can also be used at the same time as the air compressor or jumper cables so you can work with these two functions in the dark.
USB power
Two USB-A ports are provided on the Mophie Powerstation Go Rugged with 5V/2.4A output support. Plug in your device’s USB-A cable to charge one or two devices at once with the Mophie battery pack. Press the power on/off button to initiate USB charging.
The Mophie Powerstation Go Rugged with Air Compressor weighs in at just 2.54 pounds and measures 241 x 118 x 47 mm in size. It is available now for $159.95 and is one of the most useful accessories I have ever tested. Mophie provides a two-year warranty with the Powerstation Go Rugged. All functions work as advertised and it is the perfect emergency safety device for anyone who drives, bikes, camps, boats, and enjoys the outdoors.